But before I go into detail about my recent visitor, I have an obligation to explain how amazing Milan Design Week or Salone del Mobile was.
Milan Design week is an event held in various areas around Milan for example this year exhibition spaces were held mainly in Brera - a beautiful district in Milan with its typical winding and cobbled streets with restaurant upon restaurant tricking out into the streets. Showroom spaces were held almost every 2 buildings with large signs inviting you in to an unknown space exhibiting anything from taps to tiles to lights. The 3 of us either being conceptual design students or secretly just big kids LOVED and seeked the interactive installations from following instagram posts from WGSN and various bloggers.
These interactive events ranged from an 8 piece swing set to a tour inside 5 giant tanks exploiting every natural element from rain to sun to the moon.
Sometimes we stumbled upon these installations however we did city mapper (it took a while) most of them.
The COS vs Snarchitecture installation was by far my favourite. Entering this never ending room with fabric cascading from the ceiling making it impossible to create a memorable route through the space let alone find Jess and Gina. We easily spent an hour walking around laughing and giggling like big kids in this mass of material.
Other areas that design week featured in was Porta Venezia, Lambrate and Porta Genova. One bit of advice would be to do research way in advance, we definitely got caught out and missed so many fabulous exhibitions due to being unprepared at how important and amazing design week was.
On Friday night we planned a night in Brera where we were going to TRY and attempt to crash any 'Invitation only' closing parties, safe to say we failed massively and decided to head towards the canals. We walked towards a mass of people only to find a silent disco within some old ruins. Groups of youths in circles on the floor drinking bottles and bottles of alcohol. Cheapest area to buy a beer in Milan apparently and we definitely inclined. They do say that unplanned nights are always the best and that says it all for this Friday night in Milan. The perfect way to end a very exciting and adventurous week.
University seemed to hit us like a ton of bricks last week with deadline after deadline and I can safely say that I'm glad the weeks over. Our deadline for our Italian tailoring of a blazer was this week and I'm SO glad its done, never has a garment had such blood, sweat and tears put into it. At various points during the week I'm certain Jess would've turned round and hit me. Learning how to make such a technical garment is hard enough let alone solely taught in another language. Videoing the teacher just so we can replay to watch her hand movements is a new way to be taught but we got there and all in all I couldn't be more proud of the outcome (minus a couple of faults.)
A very anticipated visit from Nick came and went very quickly this past weekend, we pretty much live with each other at University so going from that to 7 weeks apart has been exceedingly difficult. Unlike my Dad's stay the weather decided to be awful so pictures are limited except a beautiful trip to Stresa on Friday where his farmer tan was fabulous.
I think the one main thing Nick was surprised with was the quality of the food out here in Italy. Every night I made him choose his best meal and every day it seemed to change. However one to definitely note is the Seafood Risotto in Como Corso. The seafood dishes out here are brimming with seafood with such variation from clams to squid to octopus and prawns.
I finally after little persuasion from Jess copied and bought a 2 litre bottle of wine from Eataly which is refillable. Simple - you buy the bottle, choose the wine and then away you go. For only 8 euros you really can't complain and that sets me up for a while (well i hope anyway.)
On Saturday evening we went for an Aperitivo with the girls and a night out. We detoured through Colonne so i was able to show Nick where the majority of students and youths congregated on an evening and in reflection was his favourite place of the night. Buying a large bottle of Birra Morretti for 2.50 euros to takeaway felt like I should've been a 16 year old. We finally reached a high end bar/club called The Ordinary Market and entered through the club entrance. I wouldn't be able to tell you the music choice if i tried. Almost a mix between a catwalk beat to garage to perhaps house music. Yet everyone was enjoying it, slightly bizarre and it's safe to say we were on the last bus home. Whoops.
On Nicks final night we decided to have dinner on a boat on the less busy canal and it was definitely the best decision I've made.
The upper deck on the boat was completely empty on arrival and with little persuasion the host allowed us to go up there on our own (I would love to say I planned it however It was all by chance.) We had the most friendly waiter and both went with his recommendations of a white wine sea bass (deboned in front of us at the table) and a seafood pasta teamed with a litre carafe of frizzante for only 9 euros.
We finished with a home made Tirimasu despite Nick not liking it he managed to finish the majority.
It was the perfect way to end such a perfect few days and saying goodbye to him at the airport was so upsetting but the excitement of him walking back through arrivals soon is uplifting.
Now with no more visitors booked in, I can start focusing more on University work and my next adventure …
Wish me luck,
S xx
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